Star Trek: Enterprise: Borderland
Bormanis; David Rossi | starring = Scott Bakula; John Billingsley; Jolene Blalock; Dominic Keating; Anthony Montgomery; Linda Park; Connor Trinneer | previous = "Home" | next = "Cold Station 12" }} "Borderland" is the fourth episode of season four of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It is the 79th episode of the series overall and the 708th episode of all Star Trek programs combined. The episode was directed by David Livingston and written by Ken LaZebnik. It first aired on the UPN network on Friday, October 29th, 2004. In this episode, a group of Augments commandeer a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, killing everyone aboard. The crew of the ''Enterprise'' travel to the Borderland regions to investigate in the hopes of preventing a full-scale war with the Klingons. Complicating matters is the presence of criminal scientist Arik Soong, creator of the Augments. Their mission earns the crew the attention of Orion slavers who capture nine members of the Enterprise and attempt to sell them at the auction block. Synopsis Arik Soong]] A group of Augments, led by a man named Raakin commandeer a Klingon Bird-of-Prey and kill all hands aboard. They take control of the bridge and set off to find the man responsible for their creation, Doctor Arik Soong. Captain Archer receives news of what transpired on the Klingon ship and visits Doctor Soong's cell to get more information out of him. Doctor Soong genetically engineered the existing Augments, a criminal act that eventually led to his imprisonment. Archer wants Soong's cooperation in tracking down and apprehending the criminals before news of the attack incites a war with the Klingon Empire. Soong taunts Captain Archer, but agrees to help him, if only because it will get him out of prison. Archer has Trip outfit Soong with a transponder implant. Under Soong's guidance, the ''Enterprise'' searches the Borderland region between the Klingon Empire and the Orion Syndicate. Orion slavers discover the ship's presence and uses their technology to transport nine crew members, including Commander T'Pol, to a processing station on Verex III where they are to be sold into slavery. This new development shifts Archer's priorities and he now sets off to rescue his crew. He interrogates Soong as to any information he might have that would help them, but the cagey scientist takes great pleasure in watching Archer's discomfort. On Verex III, T'Pol is placed inside a cage along with several other Enterprise crew members, including an extremely nervous ensign named Jeffrey Pierce. This is Pierce's first mission aboard the Enterprise and he is scared out of his mind. T'Pol offers to show him some Vulcan meditation techniques to help lower his anxiety. She never gets the chance however, as a huge Orion grabs her and puts her on the auction block. She quickly sells for a high price. Captain Archer reaches Verex III and goes to the processing center incognito. He brings Doctor Soong with him to keep an eye on him. He is too late to buy T'Pol's freedom, but Archer does succeed in placing a winning bid on Ensign Pierce. ]] Meanwhile, the Augments aboard the Klingon ship continue to search for their "father". Dissention is brewing within the ranks, as a young Augment named Malik feels that their leader, Raakin, is too weak to properly lead them. Malik has a strong emotional connection to a female Augment named Persis, but she is committed to stand by their leader. As time wears on however, Persis comes to see that Malik was right and she helps bait Raakin into a trap. Malik and Raakin face one another and Malik stabs him through the stomach, killing him. Persis takes her place next to Malik's side. Back on Verex III, Captain Archer finds a way to neutralize all the restraints worn by the enslaved crew members and they are set free. A riot breaks out as the Orion slavers, bluster through potential buyers in their efforts to recapture their "merchandise". Archer gives the order to have the crew members beamed back aboard the Enterprise. During the confusion, Doctor Soong manages to get away. Using an electric prod, he fires a jolt into his neck which neutralizes the transponder. Captain Archer chases after him, but with the transponder inactive, he cannot order him beamed back to the ship. He eventually catches up to him however and apprehends him. Archer and Soong beam back up aboard the Enterprise. Now that the crew is back aboard the ship safe and sound, Captain Archer resumes his search for the stolen Klingon ship. His trouble with the Orions is not over yet however as two Orion Interceptors swoop in behind them and open fire. The Orions seek to recapture their "stolen property". They succeed in causing excessive damage to the Enterprise 's engines. Assistance comes from an extremely unlikely ally however, as the Klingon Bird-of-Prey appears and shoots down one of the Interceptors. The second ship veers off and heads back towards Syndicate space. The ship docks with the Enterprise, but it is not the Klingons whom Archer welcomes aboard his ship, but rather, Malik and the rest of the Augments. They are here for Doctor Soong. Archer meets with Malik later in his ready room and tells him that they are returning to Earth. Their conversation grows heated and Malik lunges at Archer, grabbing him by the throat. Malcolm Reed readies a phaser rifle, but Malik warns that he could snap Archer's neck before Reed could even think about firing the weapon. Using Archer as a hostage, Malik takes him to the brig where he forces him to release Doctor Soong. Malik leaves Archer and returns to the Klingon ship with the others. The Bird-of-Prey warps out of the Borderland, but the Enterprise is too damaged to pursue them. On the Bird-of-Prey, Soong takes command and tells the Augments that they are going to retrieve their "brothers and sisters." Cast Principal Cast Guest Stars Co-Stars Uncredited cast Notes & Trivia * This episode has been made available on disc 21 of the Star Trek: Enterprise: The Complete Series and disc 1 of the Star Trek: Enterprise: The Complete Fourth Season DVD collections. * Production code number: 40358-80 * This three-episode story-arc was the cover feature to [[Star Trek Communicator 153|''Star Trek Communicator #153]]. * First episode of the series written by supervising producer Ken LaZebnik. He also wrote the tenth episode of season four, "Daedalus". * The alien that purchases T'Pol is a Tellarite. Tellarites were first seen in the season two episode of the original series, "Journey to Babel". Allusions Malik makes reference to Friedrich Nietzsche in this episode. Nietsche was a 19th-century German philosopher and classical philologist. He wrote critical texts on religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy and science, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony and aphorism. Nietzsche's influence remains substantial within and beyond philosophy, notably in existentialism and postmodernism. His philosophy played a major role in the culture of the Nietzschean race from the Gene Roddenberry inspired television series Andromeda. What else have they done? * Brent Spiner: Played Lieutenant Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation and the four "NextGen" feature films. He also played the roles of Lore and Noonian Soong on Star Trek: The Next Generation. * 'Paul Wight: Credited as Big Show, Wight is best known as a professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on both WWE: Monday Night Raw and WWE: Smackdown brands. * '''Bobbi Sue Luther: Played a bar skank in the "Goodbye to All That" episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. * Scott L. Schwartz: Played a Terran marauder in the "Crossover" and "Through the Looking Glass" episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Quotes * Orion slaver: You are now the property of the Orion syndicate. Break the rules and you will suffer. Obey the rules and you will suffer less. * Arik Soong: Your crew cannot take a joke, Captain. * Malik: To quote one of your philosophers, Nietzche... "Mankind is something to be surpassed". * Arik Soong: Jonathan Archer. What brings you here? They naming the prison after you? * Arik Soong: I didn't realize you shared Humanity's reactionary attitude toward this field of medicine. * Arik Soong: There were times, back on Earth, when I doubted myself. My work. But seeing you all... I know that everything I've fought for was worth it. We're going to build a new world. But we can't begin that task just yet. Thousands of your brothers and sisters are waiting to be born. Let's go get them. See also External Links * * * "Borderland" at Wikipedia * "Borderland" at Memory Alpha * "Borderland" at Memory Beta * "Borderland" at TV.com Episode guide * "Borderland" at the Star Trek Database * "Borderland" at TV Rage.com Episode guide ---- Category:Star Trek: Enterprise/Season 4 episodes Category:2004/Episodes Category:October, 2004/Episodes Category:Dayo Ade